Sugar, Spice and a pinch of Fantasy

Chapter 16

----------- Chapter 16 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh my god! It’s insanity! Complete, and total insanity!

Enmortals? Reapers? Disapparating and supernatural beings?

What the hell?!

It’s like I’ve been dragged into a cheesy Twilight knockoff! You know the worst part? Haden told me vampires don’t exist! No freaking fair!

They must be kidding, right?

I mean, there’s no way in the world that could be true, right?

But what if Haden did tell me the truth? What if Enmortals really do exist?

               “Jess?” Haden whispers from across the study, concern rich in his voice.

I shake my head a couple of times to clear my head. I wanted the truth, didn’t I?

               “Are you all right?” Alex asks, sitting down beside me on the couch.

Pathetically enough I shrink back in fear. He isn’t human...

Alex wears a pained expression at my reaction but retreats. He walks over to stand behind Haden.

               “I...I don’t...” I stammer, trying to find the right words.

               “It’s a lot to take in, I know,” Haden murmurs, trying his best to break me into the truth as gently as he possibly can.

I nod my head, still in slight shock. Not human...and I didn’t even know! I pull my knees up to my chest and begin rocking myself slowly.

               “Jessy...I’m sorry to spring this on you so suddenly...I really didn’t want to ever tell you. Not because I don’t trust you, I just didn’t want to frighten you, the way you are now,” Haden murmurs, his expression distant.

               “No, no, I’m okay,” I mumble, trying to convince myself more than them.

               “It’s alright to be afraid,” Matt whispers from where he stands, leaning against the door nonchalantly.

I nod my head again.

               “Do you have any questions to ask, perhaps?” Haden asks after a moment of awkward silence.

               “You said that you were...a higher rank than most enmoratals,” I murmur, the words sounding foreign as I speak, “what do you mean?”

               “My father and mother were not Adrian and Mimi Carter,” Haden mumbles after a heartbeat.

But how can that be? His parents were friends with my parents. We basically grew up together!

               “But I met them,” I insist weakly.

               “Yes. It was all a ruse though. I needed to get close to your family, Jess,” he admits, sending tendrils of fear down my spine.

               “Why? Why my family?!” I demand, the tears beginning to form.

               “I know it doesn’t sound fair! But-” he begins, before I cut him off.

               “No! You’re a reaper; a messenger of death! Your touch must be poison! If you hadn’t tried to get close to my family, maybe they would still be around today! Maybe I wouldn’t be an orphan! Maybe I would have a mother to take me out shopping to buy me a prom dress, and a father to teach me how to drive, and an older brother to look after me! But I can’t have any of those! All because you chose to get close to my family! You’re poison Haden! Poison!” I spit, dashing the hot tears from my cheeks.

Haden’s mouth hangs open and he looks like he’s just been slapped. I feel bad for saying the things I did, but...I meant them. I meant them all! The messenger of death; how can he be anything but poison?!

               “You asked how I was considered superior to other enmortals. It’s because...my father is the Lord of Death himself,” Haden spits bitterly, his face fallen.

               “Your father...? So your father is the one who sentenced my entire family to death?!” I screech, completely losing control.

               “No! That wasn’t my father’s fault! It wasn’t supposed to happen! I swear!” Haden’s voice is beseeching, as if begging me to listen.

               “How can it be an accident?! How can it not be his fault?! He’s the Lord of Death! You could have told him not to!” I accuse bitterly.

               “I couldn’t have! Because...it was my fault,” Haden’s voice is barely audible.

               “What?” I ask, my voice broken.

               “It was my fault,” he repeats, remorse clear on his face. “And I’m so sorry! I tried to change things! It just...I just...I entered into the picture, and that screwed up everything!” he mumbles softly.

               “It’s your fault then?” I ask, emotionally drained.

Haden merely nods his head, his own eyes welling with tears.

               “I didn’t mean to, I swear,” he murmurs after a few moments.

               “I can’t handle this,” I admit abruptly, jumping to my feet. I walk across the study towards the door.

Matt reaches out to stop me, obviously wanting me to work everything out now.

               “Don’t touch me!” I holler, afraid of all the guys. They aren’t human. Not natural; they shouldn’t exist!

Matt recoils, unblocking the door. I quickly make my way up to my room to process my newly acquired information.

***

(Haden’s POV)

I feel so bad! I wish I never had to tell her!

               “Are you alright?” Alex asks, resting his hand on my shoulder.

I nod my head vaguely. Physically; my wounds are so painful that I feel like I might pass out from the pain. Emotionally; my heart just broke the moment Jess walked away from me.

               “She’ll come around,” Matt murmurs after a moment’s hesitation. He isn’t convinced himself!

Jessy is right though, I am poison! How could I be anything else? The son of Death, that’s all I’ll ever be.

               “Jessy didn’t mean the things she said, I’m sure of it,” Alex offers, trying to soothe me.

               “No, she did! I’m the reason she’s an orphan!” I moan into my hands.

               “No Haden! You’re the reason she’s alive! You know how everything was supposed to be!” Matt corrects.

               “Maybe that would have been the best choice?! What has she gained by being spared that day? Nothing but pain!” I murmur.

               “You did what you thought was best! You can’t ever regret being true to yourself, Haden. If you had let her die that day, you would never have forgiven yourself,” Matt reasons.

I stand up abruptly, only to fall back down, grabbing onto my stomach, gasping for breath. It’s almost as if a blade has been plunged once more into my gut.

               “Haden?!” Alex shouts, kneeling down by my side. “Matt! He’s bleeding!”

His voice gets softer and softer as the darkness around me gets more overwhelming.